Construction of Quasi-Ordered Metal-Organic Frameworks Superstructures via Colloidal Assembly of Anisotropic Particles for Selective Organic Vapor Sensing

• Published in: Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 13; no. 19; p. 2733
• Main Authors: He, Yuheng, Bai, Ling, Liu, Baocang, Duan, Hongwei, Zhang, Jun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.10.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Adsorption; Analysis; Anisotropy; Cellulose; Chemical properties; Chemical synthesis; colloidal assembly; Colloids; Construction; Crystals; Dielectric films; Diffusion rate; Ethanol; Isomers; Mechanical properties; Metal-organic frameworks; Methods; Nanoparticles; Nitrates; Optical properties; Organometallic compounds; Photonics; polyhedral nanoparticles; Refractivity; Self-assembly; Sensors; Solvents; Structure; Superstructures; Surface tension; Thin films; vapor sensors; VOCs; Volatile organic compounds; China; Australia
• ISSN: 2079-4991; 2079-4991
• DOI: 10.3390/nano13192733

Colloidal assembly of anisotropic particles holds great promise for achieving diverse packing geometries and unique photonic properties. One intriguing candidate for anisotropic self-assembly is colloidal metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), which possess remarkable characteristics including substantial surface areas, tunable chemical properties, a wide range of structural variations, and diverse polyhedral shapes. In this study, the colloidal assembly of nearly spherical and polyhedral MOFs particles to form quasi-ordered photonic superstructures was investigated. Specifically, monodisperse near-spherical ZIF-8 (NSZIF-8) and rhombic dodecahedron ZIF-8 (RDZIF-8) colloidal nanoparticles were synthesized as the fundamental building blocks. These nanoparticles are employed to construct MOFs-based self-assembled superstructures that exhibit thin-film interference optical properties. Importantly, these superstructures demonstrate exceptional responsiveness to gaseous homologues and isomers with approximate refractive indices. The dynamic reflection spectral patterns exhibited by these superstructures provide valuable insights into the diffusion rates and surface tension characteristics of the target solvents. These findings underscore the potential of MOFs-based superstructure thin films to discriminate between physiochemically similar solvents, opening new avenues for applications in various fields.